The door frame of a traditional pre-hung entryway system typically includes a threshold or sill, a pair of vertical jambs projecting upwardly from the ends of the sill, and a horizontal head jamb or header spanning the top ends of the vertical jambs. Brick mold usually extends around the outer edges of the jambs and header and frames the outside periphery of the entryway. In some cases, the brick mold is made of traditional milled wood. However, extruded plastic or extruded composite brick mold and other jamb components have become more prevalent in recent years. The prior art includes, for example, a combination wood and extruded plastic jamb as disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,582 and an all-extruded plastic composite jamb as disclosed in my U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/273,009.
Particularly prevalent in entryways having extruded plastic components, but also found in all-wood entryways, is a laterally projecting nailing fin that surrounds the frame of the entryway. During installation, the nailing fin is attached to the outside facade of a building surrounding the framed-in opening to secure the pre-hung entryway assembly in the opening. In many cases, the nailing fin is made of plastic, such as PVC, and is provided with pre-punched nailing holes along its length. Such nailing fins may be co-extruded with the plastic brick mold or may be separate components attached to the brick mold surrounding the door frame.
In traditional construction, it often has been common to flash the header of a door frame to prevent rainwater from seeping behind the frame and deteriorating underlying framing and siding. Flashing may be provided, for instance, by a strip of metal extending from behind the siding and over the top of the head jamb brick mold. In other cases, flashing may be provided by a wood or plastic drip edge applied to the top of the brick mold. In any case, the goal is to provide a barrier preventing water from seeping between the head jamb brick mold and the siding.
Another common problem in building construction is that entryways, which typically are installed prior to the end of construction, can easily become damaged as construction workers carry heavy materials and tools through the entryway. Recently, removable plastic construction covers have become common on thresholds and these covers protect the thresholds from damage during construction. However, protection of brick mold and jamb components has been meager at best, and sometime includes nothing more than a thin layer of removable tape, which provides little if any protection.
Problems with traditional nailing fins, header flashing, and construction covers are many. For example, these components, especially flashing and construction covers, have heretofore been separately installed, when installed at all, and such installation is time consuming and requires a measure of carpentry skill. Construction covers for jambs and headers have generally been ineffective and do not tend to provide much protection from damage.
Accordingly, a need exists for an entryway system that incorporates nailing fins, head flashing, and an effective easily removable construction cover to protect brick mold from construction damage. These elements should be an integral part of a pre-hung entryway system and should require no additional time or skill for their installation and use. It is to the provision of such an entryway system that the present invention is primarily directed.